Lubricant pump for two-line lubricating systems



May 24, 1960 A. R. SCHLOSSHAUER 2,937,716

LUBRICANT PUMP FOR TWO-LINE'LUBRICATING SYSTEMS Filed Jan. 8, 1957 42 I m": L

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sha n U it d S tes Paten LUBRICANT PUMP FOR TWO-LINE LUBRICATING SYSTEMS Alfred R. Schlosshauer, 14 Lenaustrasse, Heidelberg, Germany Filed Jan. 8, 1951, Ser. No. 633,023 Claims priority, application Germany Ian. 9, 1956 6 Claims. (c1. 184-7) The invention relates to a lubricant pump for twoconcluded its compression stroke.

1 293mm Patented May 24, 1960 pass from the storage container 12 out of the suction line lubricating systems which makes it possible to con- 1 trol the individual inter-connected distributors directly, without the interposition of reversing means or the like, in such manner that an orderly lubricating cycle can be carried out.

In known two-line lubricating systems, between the central pump and the distributors there are interposed reversing members which'after each lubricating operation has been carried out are so influenced mechanically or electrically, for example by way of an indicating device, that they guide the flow of lubricant in the particular direction then appropriate towards the distributors, so that a new lubricating cycle can be initiated.

According to the invention in a lubricant pump with twin pistons and control piston associated therewith for two-line lubricating systems, the disadvantages of the known devices are obviated and a simple and reliable control of the distributors is achieved in that the con trol piston of the pump serves at the same time as a reversing piston for reversing the pressure impulses supplied to the distributors. In order to give an externally visible indication of the orderly operation of the whole device, it is expedient to connect to the last distributor an indicating device which causes the surplus lubricant to be visible from the exterior.

The invention will be explained in detail hereinafter with reference to the example of embodiment illustrated in the drawings which shows a lubricating'device with pump and distributor unit.

Displaceably mounted in two cylinders 3, 4 situated axially parallel to one another in the housing 2 of the lubricant pump 1 are the pump pistons 5, 6. Arranged in the central region of the cylinders 3, 4 are suction apertures 7, 8 respectively which are connected to the two arms 9, 10 of the suction conduit 11 which opens into the storage container 12.

The two cylinders 3, 4 are connected at their bottom regions by a bore 13. Guided in the said bore 13 is a free control piston 14 which is formed with a recessed portion 15 in its central region. The bore 13 communi cates by way of a duct 16 with the return conduit 17 leading into the container 12.

The distributors 21, 22, 23 which are combined to form one unit 20 are connected to the bore 13 by way of the conduit 18, 19. The distributors 21, 22, 23 communicate with one another by way of the ducts 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29. Connected to the last distributor of the distributor unit by way of the conduits 30, 31 is the end distributor 32 in Whose bore 33 there is guided a free piston 34. The lubricating lines L communicate by way of the conduits 44, '45, 46, 47, 38, 39 with the distributors 21, 22, 23. An indicator conduit 35 leads from the bore 33 of the end distributor 32 by way of a sight glass 36 to the storage container 12. The pistons 5, 6 of the pump 1 are displaceably guided by means of a lever 38 which is rockable about a pin 37.

conduit 11 through the branch arm 9 and the suction aperture 7 into the cylinder 3. On the other hand lubricant is forced out of the cylinder 4 by the downward movement of the piston 6 into the bore 13, and in so doing displaces the reversing piston 14 into its left-hand end position and flows through the conduit 18 into the distributor unit 20.

The lubricant flowing through the duct 24 to the distributor 21 first of all forces the distrtibutor piston 39 into the illustrated left-hand end position, the lubricant situated in front of the left-hand end face 39b of the distributor piston 39 being fed through the duct-29 to the conduit 19, annular space 15, duct 16, return conduit 17, to the lubricant container 12. When the distributor piston 39 is in this end position, the duct 25 is opened by the right-hand end face 390 of the said piston, so that the lubricant flowing out of the duct 24 can flow through the duct 25 to the distributor 22 and likewise displaces the distributor piston 40 into its left-hand end position. In this position, the lubricant situated in front of the lefthand endface 40b of the distributor piston 40 is fed through the duct 28, annular space 39a, conduit 48, to the first lubricating point, whilst the right-hand end face 406 of the distributor piston 40 opens up the duct 26. The lubricant then passes through the distributor 23 and brings the distributor piston 41 into the illustrated end position. The lubricant in front of its left-hand end face 41b is fed, during this movement, by way of the duct 27, annular space 40a, conduit 46, to the second lubricating point. In this operation, the right-hand end face 41c of the distributor piston 41 has also opened the duct 42 and opens the way for the lubricant to flow through the conduit 31, duct 31a, to the cylinder bore 33 of the end distributor 32. The free piston 34 is also moved by the lubricant pressure into the illustrated left-hand end position and forces the lubricant which is situated in front of its left-hand end face 34a through the duct 30a, conduit 30, duct 43, annular space 41a, conduit 44, to the third lubricating line L.

The lubricant situated in front of the right-hand end face 34b of the piston 34, and which is under the delivery pressure, is fed through the duct 30b, the indicator conduit 35, by way of the sight glass 36 to the lubricant container 12. The first lubricating cycle is thus concluded, and the lubricant flowing out of the conduit 35 provides at the sight glass 36 a visible hydraulic indication of the orderly execution of the lubricating operation.

If the lever 38 is then brought into the opposite position to that illustrated in the drawing, the piston 41 is also displaced into the opposite end position, so that the lubricant is then fed through the conduit 19 into the distributor unit 20, and the lubricating cycle is repeated as described hereinbefore, lubricant being supplied to the lubricating points (not shown) which are connected to lubricant through the conduit 35 to the sight glass 36 in order to guarantee a reliable indication.

I claim:

1. A controlled lubricating system for feeding a plural ity of lubricating lines comprising a reservoir for lubricating fluid, first and second reciprocating piston and cylinder devices coupled to the reservoir and adapted for putting the lubricating fluid under pressure,-means defining a bore coupling the cylinders of the devices, a reversing piston in the bore and freely slidable therein for displacement in either direction, a main distributor coupled to said lubricating lines, said means further defining conduits between the bore and said main distributor which conduits selectively couple said cylinders with said main distributor in accordance with the position of said reversing piston in said bore, and an end distributor coupled between said main distributor and said reservoir for the return flow of lubricant; said main distributor comprising at least one distributor piston and cylinder arrange ment and defining connections between the lubricating lines and distributor cylinder as well as connections between the distributor cylinder and said conduits, the distributor piston being a double acting piston and responsive to the pressure of lubricating fluid received through said conduits for forcing lubricating fluid from the distributor cylinder to at least one of the lubricating lines; said end distributor being selectively coupled by the main distributor to one of said conduits.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means defines a conduit coupling said bore to said reservoir.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said end distributor defines a chamber connected to said means and a slidable member in said chamber and comprising conduits coupling the distributor cylinder with spaced portions of said chamber, the movement of said slidable member controlling the coupling of the main distributor to said means.

4. A distributor for distributing alternating streams of lubricant to a plurality of lubricating lines comprising conduits for receiving the streams, a plurality of cylinders each having opposite extremes and one of which is connected substantially at its extremes to said conduits, each of the other cylinders having connections at its extremes with the central portion of another of said cylin ders and all of said cylinders having connections between their respective central portions and respective ones of said lubricating lines, and pistons freely slidable in said cylinders between positions whereat the connections are selectively blocked and open, the pistons being adapted for being responsive to lubricant pressure at one of the extremes of their respective cylinders for urging lubricant from the opposite extremes via the central portions of the cylinders connected thereto and through said lubricating lines.

5. A distributor as claimed in claim 4 wherein each cylinder has two of said connections, centrally located and spaced from each other, and each piston is a doubleacting piston for closing one of the two connections while opening the other of the two connections.

6. A lubricating system comprising a reservoir for a lubricating fluid, first and second cylinders coupled to the reservoir, first and second pistons respectively in the cylinders, means connecting the pistons for opposite action in the cylinders for alternately urging the fluid from the cylinders under pressure, means defining a bore connecting the cylinders and receiving the fluid, a reversing piston in the bore, first and second conduits opening into the bore and selectively connected to the latter in accordance with the position of said reversing piston, a distributor defining a cylinder having opposite extremities respectively coupled to the conduits and axially spaced output openings centrally located, spaced and connected pistons in the distributor cylinder and displaceable by fluid received from the conduits between positions whereat said openings are selectively blocked by one of the distribution pistons, an end distributor having a cylinder the extremities of which are separately connected to the distributor cylinder at positions which are selectively isolated by one of the distributor pistons and which are selectively isolated from the conduits by the other distributor piston, the end distributor cylinder being centrally connected with the reservoir, and an end distributor piston in the end distributor cylinder for selectively isolating an extremity of the latter from the reservoir.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,801 Babitt Oct. 7, 1842 1,880,855 Davis Oct. 4, 1932 2,168,937 Hillis Aug. 8, 1939 2,170,327 Hillis Aug. 22, 1939 2,257,251 Trier et a]. Sept. 30, 1941 2,269,928 Dirkes Jan. 13, 1942 

